Essay from Marjona Mardonova

The souls of the Jadids are eternally in our hearts 

Mardonova Marjona Muhsin kizi

Student of Polytechnic No. 1

Tel number:998-94-326-58-50

Abstract:

This article talks about the selfless Jadids who fought for the people, showed that science is an important factor, and raised the flag of the homeland to the skies. Who are the Jadids themselves? What did they do? Why are they called Jadids? These questions are not relevant for the Uzbek people, because the people of Uzbekistan highly respect their ancestors. The bravery and heroism they did in our past are immortalized in epic books in different languages. It is not difficult to learn from their lives that the Jadids would not have survived even death for the homeland during their lives. Most Jadids died early from this life, while some faced death in the very prime of their lives. But they died early not from death, but for the foundation of the homeland. Of course, these terrible events can shake the human heart, but we must understand that they wanted us to speak their names on our tongues, not with tears, but with pride. That is why the Uzbek people keep the souls of the Jadids in their hearts forever.

Keywords:

Jadids, enlightenment, spirituality, progress, reforms, people, self-sacrifice, science, struggle, commerce, generation, cultural heritage, research, prosperity

Introduction:

It is not for nothing that we named the title of this article as the souls of the Jadids are eternal in our hearts. Today, let’s bring together the Jadids who fought and strived for our current peaceful life. True, there are so many of them that if we wanted to write about them, we would create a book, but we will cite a few.

1. Mahmudkhoj Behbudiy, one of the founders of the Jadids, was one of the representatives of his people with a number of books, articles, and poems.

 2. Abdulla Avloni, one of the representatives of the Jadids, a poet, a teacher, an enlightener of the Shura period and a number of other creative figures

3. Shepherd, a national artist of Uzbekistan

These are the founders of the Jadid school. Selfless heroes who fought for the homeland

1. Jaloliddin Manguberdi

2. Amir Temur

3. Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur

Our scientific and writer ancestors

1. Alisher Navoi

2. Abu Ali ibn Sino

3. Hamza Hakimzoda Niyozi

These are just representatives of the Uzbek people, how many more of our ancestors fought for Uzbeks.

Main part:

Thousands of heroes around the world fought for their homeland, their names are sealed in books, we can only read about their heroic deeds in books because they fought for our prosperity and independence. If we write thousands of articles and books for them, we must show them again and again for the younger generation that they are still with us, and this is necessary, regardless of what nationality we are from.

Conclusion:

We, the youth of Uzbekistan, will never tire of showing the world the bravery of our Jadids, and this is our duty. This article was written about the Jadids of Uzbekistan. Let us be grateful to them for the peace and prosperity of our homeland, which the Jadids have done for us. The souls of the Jadids are eternal in our hearts

References:

1. B. B. Islamov – Jadids and enlightenment

2. Sadriddin Ayni – Esdalik (memories)

3. Khurshid Davron – Jadid

Poetry from Ahmed Miqdad

Headshot of a middle aged Middle Eastern man, bald, clean shaven, in a collared black and white and green plaid shirt.

My Loyal Cactus

My loyal cactus,

I’m sorry to leave you alone in my balcony

I have no excuse except being forced to go to the south

Under the barrage of heavy bombs,

Frightening explosions and thousands of martyrs.

I’m sorry  again to let you encounter the terrible days and nights,

Witness the destruction of my surrounding neighborhood

And let you face thirst for more than a year without a sip of water

But I was there hungry and starving like you

When I came back

I found you still stalwart

Only some scars on your body

As a testimony on the merciless soldiers.

Let me  hug you tightly  and console you 

Because your thorns more delicate

Than the hypocrisy of humanity.

©® Ahmed Miqdad

Gaza

Palestinian poet

Activist

Awarded poet

Literary prize

Naji Naaman

2025

Poetry from Duane Vorhees

ALL-PURPOSE FACILITY

You were a noted venue
and I would often rent you
for some special attraction.

Equipped to meet any need,
enhance any intention,
sometimes you’d be my circus,
or you’d flaunt a convention.

But my business wore you out.
Now you’re vacant and condemned.


DEPOSITION

Thinking’s rearranging information
will displace
thin kings rear-ranging in formation



THE DAY I FRUIT BASKETED

In morning I wore a peach.
The sun oranged me at the beach.
Evening brought me raspberried.
How fruitful! How varied!


REPORTING FOR DUTY

Like the Snowy Egret, 
at any given second--
always you will entrance.

To your brushy entrance
I am ordered to second.
I obey. I regret.


DEAR DEPARTURE

Reason, in fact, is irrelevant --
Treason does occur, despite intent.

Butterfly, goodbye -- your flitting's lost its power.
Sigh and sigh, flatter, flirt. Flutter your eyes by the hour.
Fear of your favor's loss finally dissipated,
"Dear," and I learn how grossly lonely is overrated.

...

Poetry from Stephen Jarrell Williams

This Is The End

1.

there’s no more ink

to print the truth

straight lines erased

2.

the great downfall

deeper and crushing

when hitting bottom

3.

fire burning

blood letters flowing

thick drips

4.

this is the end

unless we stop

fingertips of sin

Print Maker

I’m not sure

you should print this,

it’s up to you

when the last period

drops.

Seeds

And somehow

the rain comes,

filling up the wells,

the overflow

saving

all when realizing

the flower Master.

Poetry from Christopher Bernard

The Value of a Life

. . . the wellsprings of creative phantasy 
which make life worth living.— Anthony Storr

What makes it worth the mocking 
of what you cannot have,
the fog of what you cannot know,
the mortality of what you love,
the meanness of humanity?

Many say “Love”
but do not believe it.
Others say “God”;
few become saints.
Some say “Humankind,”
but they litter history with corpses.

Then someone gives it a name,
and it shines bright above you,
a lamp of enamel and gold.
Or, far away, it sings,

drawing you down a nave
toward the shadows
of the choir, the carved 
panels above the sanctuary
and the tomb of your fathers.

It is a fairy tale 
you tell yourself in the night
against the treacherous body, 
a broken bell that coughs like a patient
warning you of questions you cannot answer,

against the night flies dancing in the beam
of a weak flashlight
as you walk, from darkness
through darkness toward darkness,
toward a point of light small as a star in the black woods.

_____

Christopher Bernard’s book The Socialist’s Garden of Verses won a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and was named one of the “Top 100 Indie Books of 2021” by Kirkus Reviews.

Essay from Jasmina Rashidov

With the prevalence of social media and growing societal expectations, it has become increasingly common for individuals to voice their frustrations and opinions online, particularly in technologically advanced societies. While there are valid reasons for expressing dissatisfaction on such platforms, I strongly assert that this trend has both harmful consequences and meaningful benefits. On the one hand, it may increase negativity and affect mental health; on the other, it can raise public awareness and lead to quicker solutions for social problems.

One of the major consequences of this trend is the spread of negativity online, which can significantly impact individuals’ mental well-being. As more people share complaints and disappointments about their lives, it creates a cycle of emotional dissatisfaction that others are exposed to daily. This constant exposure can lead users to feel more anxious, discontent, or even inferior, especially when comparing their own lives to what they see online. Over time, such emotional stress can damage people’s mental health and reduce the overall positivity of online spaces.

Despite these downsides, public complaints on social media also offer a significant benefit: they can serve as a catalyst for change. By bringing issues such as poor infrastructure, low-quality services, or political concerns into the public eye, individuals can draw attention from government bodies, service providers, and the media. For example, in Uzbekistan, citizens often highlight poor road conditions via social platforms. In many cases, these posts go viral and prompt authorities to respond quickly. In this way, social media empowers ordinary people to contribute to community development and hold institutions accountable.

In conclusion, although venting frustrations on social media can negatively affect users’ mental health by spreading pessimism and stress, it also allows people to highlight societal problems and demand immediate action. Thus, while the trend may carry emotional risks, it plays a vital role in raising awareness and pushing for positive change.

My name is Rashidova Jasmina, daughter of Bahodir. I was born on November 23rd, 2008, in Shakhrisabz district, located in the Kashkadarya Region of Uzbekistan. I am currently a 10th-grade student at School No. 74.

Throughout my academic journey, I have proudly taken part in numerous educational grants, national seminars, and academic meetings. I am a winner of several contests and competitions dedicated to education and innovation. Notably, I was a finalist in both the “BBG” and “FO” programs, which further motivated my passion for leadership and community development.

One of my most prestigious achievements includes being awarded the “Katta Liderlar” grant, which recognizes young emerging leaders in Uzbekistan. I also had the honor of participating as a delegate representing Switzerland in a Model United Nations (MUN) conference, where I strengthened my skills in diplomacy, negotiation, and global issues.

In addition to my academic accomplishments, I run my own educational channel, where I teach and mentor students in various subjects. I am also the founder and instructor of a Pixel Art course, where I combine creativity with digital skills to inspire others in the field of design and technology.

Synchronized Chaos First June Issue 2025: Revival and Rejuvenation

Red roses growing in a pot over a gray fenced balcony on an old stone building.
Image c/o Linnaea Mallette

First, here are a few announcements.

Jeff Rasley’s released a new book, Presbyterian vs Methodist Youth Group Rumble in Pokagon Park. This is a light-hearted satire of teen life and the heightened emotions of the age.

Jacques Fleury was also invited to the Boston Public Library’s Author Showcase to show off his title You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Accepting Your Authentic Self.

The National Storytelling Championship seeks online submissions from Indian nationals living in all parts of the world.

Now for our new issue, Revival and Rejuvenation.

Elderly European couple in hats and coats and scarves seated with serious faces at teatime with a teapot and teacups on a table. Cat and houseplants and open window in the background.
Jean-Francois Raffaelli’s Afternoon Tea

Christopher Bernard celebrates the photography of urban chronicler Vivian Maier and the recent rediscovery of her work.

Gopal Lahiri’s poetry looks over varied landscapes – aging city infrastructure, a painted teatime scene, a rainstorm – with a painter’s thoughtful eye.

Wazed Abdullah draws on soft, childlike language to elegantly portray a monsoon rain in Bangladesh. Don Bormon writes in a similar style of the rain’s return in the region after a hot sunny summer. Tamoghna Dey speaks to the strength and flexibility of water as a metaphor.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou finds union with nature on her daily walk, taking inspiration from its diversity and authenticity. David Sapp’s poetry highlights our human connection to the rest of nature through musings on barns, fields, and a dead cat.

Double rainbow in a blue cloudy sky over the mostly flat English countryside, plains and trees.
Photo from Anna Langova

Chimezie Ihekuna revels in the beauty of nature and the intricate ways in which its systems work and creatures survive, but warns of its destruction. Graciela Noemi Villaverde also urges care for the natural world and highlights how natural systems can self-heal and regenerate.

Sayani Mukherjee revels in the passage of seasons in nature as Kylian Cubilla Gomez explores the hidden world of snails, centering the small mollusk in his photos. Sara Hunt-Flores reflects on the sun lighting her path, helping her distinguish illusion from reality.

Svetlana Rostova uses nature metaphors to convey the breadth and intensity of her past experiences. Mahbub Alam compares falling in love to the wonder of seeing a firefly. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumnova illuminates the way love can revive a person and rejuvenate their life. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dalai evokes memory and the ecstasy of falling in love. Mesfakus Salahin pleads with a lover to take him back as a response to his enduring feelings.

Stephen Jarrell Williams reflects on the poignancy and power of stories: those in books and those of family love and passing generations. Kassandra Aguilera’s poetry expresses love that remains despite troubled parental relationships. Bill Tope’s short story addresses a platonic and artistic friendship between a man and a woman and the tragic social disapproval that drives them apart.

Group of silhouetted people on a beach at sunset or sunrise. Yellow sky behind the clouds near the horizon, water heading out at low tide.
Image c/o Mohammed Mahmoud Hassan

Scott C. Holstad probes various sorts of physical and emotional desire. Duane Vorhees speaks to birth and death, love and war, then turns to a personal blues poem about feeling disillusioned by faith.

Gordana Saric offers up a prayer for personal compassion and global peace. Brian Barbeito shares daily musings on meaning and ethics and and speculates on our individual lives’ effects on the universe. Inayatullah encourages us all to look inward and heal our inner wounds and forgive each other in order to change the world on a larger scale.

Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa shares the hope and strength and healing she finds through her faith. K. Sayyid Mubashir Hadhi explicates the spiritual and cultural significance of Eid Al-Adha. Timothee Bordenave’s old-style pieces express his spiritual faith and desire for universal oneness. Bruce Mundhenke expresses how faith and wisdom can outlast our technologies and our inhumanity to each other. R.K. Singh calls us to ethnic and religious tolerance based on the world’s complex history and celebrates physical and spiritual love.

Dr. Jernail Singh speculates on how literature and drama, religious or not, can inspire moral development as well as catharsis, when villainy and evil are stopped. Matthew Kinlin interviews Kenneth M. Cale about the inspirations and creative process behind his book Midnight Double Feature: Director’s Cut, a stand against the growing darkness he sees in the world.

Fountain pen made of metal and wood, on a black canvas with light shining on it.
Image c/o Pixabay

Lidia Popa describes the power of writing to transmute ideas and feelings into a mode of communication from one soul to another. Haroon Rashid outlines the role of silence, observation, and empty space for thoughtful writing in his ars poetica.

Xadjiyeva Nodira studies idioms and whether the phrases can take on different meanings within the same language. Kaljanova Gulmira’s paper outlines the benefits of having a language learner “shadow” a native speaker. Shahnoza Ochildiyeva’s essay explicates the complex task of translation and how, as of now, translation requires a human being with cultural awareness.

Isabel Gomes de Diego’s photography celebrates human and natural creativity in various forms: origami, sewing, typing. Bahora Mansurova turns to the craft of medicine, discussing ways to treat periodontal diseases. Linda S. Gunther reviews Kristina McMorris’ suspense novel of the newsroom, Sold on a Monday.

Nozima Gofurova describes an educational visit to Tashkent’s Mirzo Hotel, where she learned about Central Asian art and history. Joseph Ogbonna highlights the majesty and historical influence of ancient Egyptian civilization. Maja Milojkovic’s ekphrastic work draws inspiration from the strength of ancient Herakles.

Black and white woodcut of two women cooking in a large pot on a fire. They're picking fruit from houseplants and collecting sunlight for solar power.
Sultana’s Dream, Cooking with Light, Woodcut from Chitra Ganesh

Z.I. Mahmud explores feminist speculative literature in India and the works of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein. Bhagirath Choudhary, in a piece translated by Eva Petropoulou Lianou, advocates for respect for women and for society to celebrate positive traits traditionally associated with the nurturing feminine.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou speaks of her intimate and demanding relationship with her female poetic muse. Isaac Dominion Aju reflects on the artistic inspiration he received from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose work helped him to find his own voice. Donna Dallas’ poetic speakers find writing inspiration from a quiet morning, a busy urban city full of desire, and the throes of drug addiction. Hauwa’u Naseer Mukhtar evokes the peace and creative source of solitude as Chloe Schoenfeld resolutely affirms her claim to her own soul.

Kelly Moyer’s asemic poetry invites us to the experience of appreciating writing and art, even without literal meaning. Ric Carfagna’s poetry touches on perception, how we experience and make sense of our world.

Loki Nounou reflects on life’s unpredictability, as S. Afrose exposes existence’s slippery nature, complex and hard to pin down and define. Utso Bhattacharyya’s short story involves an ordinary man’s visit to a surreal reality existing alongside and within our own.

Hooded bodiless figure in a graveyard at night, lit up by moonlight. Trees and foliage and a giant Celtic cross tombstone.
Image c/o Kai Stachowiak

Alex S. Johnson’s horror tale probes the insidious way oppression works not only through violence, but also through individual and social gaslighting. Mark Young’s poetry crafts off-kilter scenes where people and other creatures adjust to their settings.

J.J. Campbell turns to poignant nostalgia while experiencing slow trauma. John Angelo Camomot’s verse speaks to the grief of losing a loved one and the comfort of memories.

Sean Meggeson’s humorous tales probe our relationships with authority and failures of communication. On the theme of authority, Taylor Dibbert observes wryly that leaders who are least affected by policies are often the first to advocate for them.

Mykyta Ryzhykh’s short story depicts war as an unwelcome trespasser, refusing to communicate its intentions or ask permission to occupy someone’s basement. Ahmed Miqdad laments the suffering of civilians in Gaza while expressing hope for the region. Combat veteran Steven Croft speculates on goals for a possible return to United States military intervention in Afghanistan and hopes they will finally get girls back to school.

Sadoqat Qahramonovna To’rayeva reflects on pursuing education as a child and teen in his humble farming village. Marjona Baxtiyorovna sends out a tribute to education and graduating students.

We hope this issue is educational, inspiring, and enjoyable!